Onboarding advice for organizations big and small

Most people understand the importance of a good first impression. So on our first day with a new company, we arrive early. Maybe we overdress. We know that starting out strong will make it easier to succeed in the long run. Continue Reading

For most of us, with a decade or more of corporate experience building our careers, this means finding safe, secure, solid investment opportunities. Ask any responsible investment broker, and they’ll probably agree you should:

Build up a well-diversified, worldwide spread stock and bond portfolio at the lowest cost possible ideally, through ETF funds offered through Vanguard, iShares, etc., which for instance replicate the MSCI index

Potentially add a bit of leverage by exposing oneself towards real estate by taking out a mortgage

Build-up a cash position so you can cover 6 months net salary – just in case you find yourself between corporate jobs

Do all this, according to conventional wisdom, and Warren will grade your investment homework with a solid “A” making you feel great during breakfast, while studying the financial section of your local newspaper. Be patient — ride the ups and downs — and you won’t lose money.

But the safe conventional way may not be the best way to grow your wealth. Continue Reading

Orientation Week is a week-long immersion taken at the beginning of the Kellogg Executive MBA Program. Elsy Ocejo, the cohort ambassador for EMP 104, shares her tips for making the most out of the week.

By Elsy Ocejo

For most Executive MBA students, at least one decade has passed since being a student. It’s easy for anxiety to take over. You have a full-time job and a family to add to the equation.

Orientation Week will be one of the most overwhelming, challenging and rewarding weeks of your life. You will thrive if you have the right mindset and take advantage of the tools given during this week. Continue Reading

“Get outside yourself… Our students gain the clarity of focus they need to build transformational organizations that can thrive and seize new market opportunities in today’s fast-paced global economy.”

From my first day at Kellogg when Dean Blount shared this speech with our class, I decided to take this challenge on. Dean Blount’s words resonate with me because they are a personal call to action. I knew that if I was going to meet Dean Blount’s challenge, I was going to need to journey outside of comfort zone.

I decided early in my EMBA experience I wanted to get clarity of focus on how to create and build a great startup. The Kellogg Education Technology Incubator (KETI) competition seemed like a great opportunity to do this. Continue Reading

When Ann Drake ’84 graduated from Kellogg, she immediately set her sights on a formidable challenge: transforming her family business from a warehousing service to one positioned for the 21st century.

Drake’s confident leadership style allowed her to expand the business, forming DSC Logistics, a supply chain company equipped to adapt to the new challenges facing businesses. Drake, who will present the keynote address at the upcoming Executive MBA graduation on December 12, took time to offer leadership advice, reflect on her time at Kellogg and explain some of the challenges facing CEOs today. Continue Reading

Kourtney Ratliff ’10 was recently recognized as one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ “40 under 40.”

Ratliff, a partner with Chicago-based financial firm Loop Capital, was recognized both for her professional achievements and for her willingness to help others. In 2013, Ratliff gave $125,000 to her alma mater, University of Miami, to endow a scholarship that empowers the next generation of female, African American leaders.

Ratliff is joined on the “40 under 40” list by Adam Butler ’07, a Full-Time MBA Program alumnus.